I’m-totally-clueless-and-scratching-my-head-WARNING: This is basically for students in India.

I thought that I would write something about this since there isn’t much good information available on it on the Web, true Indian government style. This post itself will not tell you much, so STOP READING NOW. The competition I’m writing about isn’t worth participating anyway, but this is for those stubborn ones who simply WON’T listen.

There, now having ensured that nobody is reading this part of the article, I can continue in peace.

The Junior Science Talent Search Examination (JSTS) is conducted SEPARATELY in each state (union territories too) of India by the respective state education departments. It is based on the lines of the National Talent Search Scheme/Examination (NTSS/NTSE) and only students of class IX can participate in this, only from their school, not individually. Since I gave the exam in New Delhi, my knowledge is restricted to that but then, you may find it useful (duh, forgot that nobody’s reading this coz I told them not to!).

The first round of JSTS is written test; in my case it was conducted in February (bang in the middle of my final exams) and I think that is the norm. Don’t panic, it’s always conducted on a Sunday.

The written test is conducted in two parts – Mental Aptitude Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). MAT is a one-and-half hour test which tests the candidates’ general knowledge, and a small section on mental ability and reasoning is also there. Some questions are multiple choice questions (MCQs), while others have to be answered in word/sentence. Questions with picture clues may also come, like identify the symbol of this organization, etc. The response has to be answered within the question sheet itself. For the general knowledge section, just keep out an eye for the major news articles. For dummies, reading books like Manorama Yearbook may help. If you are good at this, you could finish this paper within 15 minutes, like I did, but you won’t be allowed to attempt the next paper if you do.

After enjoying a nap of about 45 minutes, I got to attempt the SAT. It tests the candidates’ in science and mathematics. A 100-question paper with 75 questions on science and 25 on mathematics, in this one ALL questions are MCQs (hooray, but not quite – it is still of a good level) and responses have to be indicated in question sheet itself. The science questions basically come from the textbook, but at some places, you have to apply the concepts learnt at school (if you are nice enough to actually study there in the first place) and then answer the questions. For mathematics, I would advise you to thoroughly study the previous class’ (class 8) book too, since a significant amount of questions can come from there.

Remember to give the invigilator your paper before rushing out.

Now, wait for about 6 months for government machinery to wake up and manually check your papers. Your school would be notified if you qualify for the next and final level, so if you don’t hear anything by July then get back to your studies and stop waiting because your boards are very near. And don’t crib about letters misplaced by the postal system, the education guys are nice enough to call up and confirm letter deliveries.

The final stage is an interview, held at a centre in your state. It may be held over many days as there are many students. The interviewers are VERY unpredictable – they asked textbook questions from other students in my batch, but I was asked about college-level physics, but they are nice people and generally don’t do so (my case was different as I expressed interest in a career in particle physics). Just take it easy and you’ll sail through, ranks can improve dramatically at this stage if you do well. Remember to socialize, it’s a good opportunity to meet achievers like you!

Now wait again for two-three months. They’ll send your school your final rank, and should also contain your marks. Ask them for it if you don’t get these two. You will also receive a certificate if you get a high rank and a measly amount as ‘scholarship’, which you may be able to see with a high-power microscope. Don’t expect the certificate and the cash soon though, I haven’t received mine yet.

Actually, students participate in this to get a feel of the NTSE, and for prestige. The certificate does count for something.

Almost forgot; if you qualify after reading this, do send me some guru-dakshina. Contact me through my profile page to do so. And if have already participated, add your own comments to this post.

P.S. – I got rank 140 in the written exam (because I hadn’t prepared for it, exam next day) and got rank 20 in the final round, and I’m still awaiting my prize.P.P.S. – I did get the certificate and the cash (finally!). Turns out, my previous school got it quite some time back. Oh well. And yes, there’s a correction, because the certificate says I got rank 20 (and not 38).

Thanks for the comment, man. And by the way, I’m still waiting for my certificate AND scholarship, with no sight of them coming soon. I must ALSO tell you that when we went for the interview, the coordinator there told us that some JSTS scholar had come back after 20 years from USA to collect his certificate. This is not to scare you, but just to tell you how long you may have to wait. Wish you all the best!

hey this is first time i have read anything other than topics labeled C++ Code Archive.

I think you have confused NTSE and JSTS. In JSTS there were no mental ability questions in the first paper. Only GK was asked.

Even the interview part is also mixed up, its NTSE where you re asked such questions.In JSTS its the basic academic stuff. Though in both of them interviewers are looking for a single opportunity to embarrass you.

Hey I got through both of them So I might a a more reliable kinda of source. For more information search for the NTSE Scholars Community on Orkut (the one with most members)

@Touching The Sky: IMHO, I haven;t messed anything up. True, the MAT is 95% GK, but some mental ability questions do turn up at times. As for the interview, you might read my new post on it (it’d be among the ones in the July 2007 section of the archives). It has got more elaboration on the interview stuff. You’d see from there it’s not always the usual acad stuff, in my experience. But hey, congrats on getting through both!

hey… tomo 31Jan’08, is my same exam n me too not prepared for it.. so the first thing to conclude up that itz not necessary to be held on a Sunday n in the month of Feb. Am also appearing from Delhi. N I just needed some introduction to what m gonna face tomo, n thank u so much!!Keep it up!

heya!thanks to ur blog i was relieved to know dat there r MCQs only! and ya ur blog’s really interesting! i went for da exam today, it was kinda OK but in the science paper there were a lotta high level ques. it all went ova our head! i just wanted to know , does dis exam hold sum kinda value or will this b useful anywhere? coz i heard that next year(when i’ll b in 10th) NTSE will not b ther, its just b for da 8th class…thanks n keep it up!

Nice blog you’ve got here! Just a question, when did you take your exam? Our exam was a bit different since we had 50 marks for each science subject and 25 for maths.

It was ok (a bit easy, but a bit hard). I’m a bit annoyed since a LOT of my classmates were engaging in what they call “mutual co-operation” during the exam. Did you have any problems like this in your exam? It makes me angry since it makes a hard exam even harder since I’m now fighting for a spot against guys who were resorting to unfair means. Such is life, I guess…….

Oh well. Take out my anger on the upcoming exams. Not the end if I don’t make it through this one. Win some, lose some

@Anonymous: Thanks! I took my exam in 2004, so I guess things CAN change a lot in these many years as far as the pattern of the exam (or they dates they’re held on) are concerned. But ‘mutual cooperation’? LOL, no, it didn’t happen during my time. I guess it depends upon the invigilators at the centre you end up with.

@Anon: There seriously isn’t too much you can do to prepare for an interview. Of course, being updated with your syllabus helps, and since class 9 syllabus is (almost) the same as 11th; you might want to read up some advanced stuff from there – like Newton’s Laws. Apart from that, there’s little else than giving your interview confidently that helps.

First.)tell me how to make my blog as nicely done as yours,and how much money do you pay for the .info thing of yours and also please tell me how to get Adsense.
2.)I passed the interview too,i need your help big time to prepare asap.
And also i flunked in Exun Elite 2nd round,in the sense i blanked out due to being over awed.tell me pls. how to improve my IT iq.

hey,
it’s me again the great Exun flunker….whopeeeeee!!!
Yeah and thanks a lot,for your help i got thru in JSTSE with a an mediocre rank of 26.
Results are on http://www.edudel.nic.in Public Circulars Tab.
But it does feel nice.
And about Exun-well prez told us (moi et mon partner)that we are’temp’ members and that he loved our enthu and josh though not our knowledge level.So discusses with digvj in front of us and tells us this.Well,its ok,he told us that he will ‘send us for competitions’ and only then will he decid on taking us in,once we have reached that ‘level’.
Any suggestions and please do help me!!!
Thanks A Lot,
You-Know-Me

Yeah, cleared through. Your blog was quite useful, to tell the truth. Anyways, my rank was a pathetic 98. My friend Shreyans got rank 2! Heck, I get higher national olympiad results than this (top 20 or so) and this is just a state exam! What the heck!

Anyways, apart from a certificate and a mention in the school newsletter (lol), you’re right. This exam was a waste of time. A princely ‘scholarship’ of Rs1000 is our reward. One year only. And like I said before, the ‘mutual cooperation’ that occured in the first round was just outrageous. Ah well… like anyone cares.

you have mixed the NTSE AND JSTS with each other. The JSTS do not conduct mental ability questions. Though the article is really helpful at maths section. Please enter more or send on my e- mail id that what type of questions come in science.

look mister after reading that this competiton isn’t worth reading my blood boiled and i felt lik killing u .u drown the spirits of those who want to .imean the people who hav ben preparing for ages after seeing this line will surely accompany me in killing u

ok look i m angry coz i really wanted to go for this jsts . your blog is very helpful but i feel it is worth participating. unlik u i no i wont be selected .(i m dead sure about that).but yet if would wrie a blog lik this at least my very first line wouldn’t be”this exam isn’t worth participating.

Have you taken the KVPY exam? If so, could you give me a few pointers? I’ll be taking it this year (currently in 10th). The school doesn’t have classes for KVPY as far as I know (they have classes for NTSE and JSTS), so I need all the help I can get. I’ve gotten NTSE, so I would love to to get this one too. And I figure that this one will be a LOT harder than the rest.

Speaking of which, I’ve gotten inspired by you and my friend Agrim. I’ll start a blog of my own when the boards are finished with.

hmmm….it was his way of motivating us..ms shivani..reverse psychology …neways..I am appearing fr the test..touch wood..I will get selected if its a delhi comp. n will try my level best evn if its all india..bess of luck to all fellow participants

my brother had given junior science talent search examination 2009 on 31.1.2009 for class XI.He wants to see the result of it but is not able to see it.please give me the related link so that i can help him.

Hey ankur,howz life?so u have any clue when and how we register for KVPY…first round is supposed to be a walkthrough though…
u ever given the INO’S of TIFR and HBCSE???
hey and DO let me know when the announcement comes out for HIQ….
cheers.. :)

i got selected in the interviews of JSTS. Can anyone plz tell me what kind of questions i may expect in the interview(whether they’ll be of IX or X or XI or all) and any tips one might want to give about how to behave in front of them or any special tip as such…it would be of help.thnx in advance

I’ve won this JSTSE Scholarship last year(interview held July 2008) but have not received either the certificate or the prize money. Could I know the contact details to reach the concerned person? Thanks!

@Ankur bhaiya, JSTS was conducted before NTSE in your time, i.e. in 2004. But from the year 2006-2007, NCERT has been holding the NTS Exam for classes VIII and X both. And from session 2008-2009, NTSE is held only for class VIII, and not class X. Further, I will be taking JSTS 2010. Are there any questions in this exam from NCERT textbooks? Cas in NTSE, most of questions was from outside the course. Kindly help me out. What comes in the GK section? Is it really too tough? And, could anyone of you tell me, how many ques. are there in the first test. How many students are selected for the second round, i.e. the interviews?

What exactly do you mean by ‘questions from NCERT textbooks’? If you mean lifted verbatim then no. JSTS does ask questions related to concepts which are there in NCERT syllabus though. GK is mostly current affairs related with a dash of ‘India facts’ and the like.

I don’t remember exactly, but I 200 or so students were called for the interviews. Or maybe it was 100.

i want to recieve all the information about it n want to got the forms for it 2010 so plz send it by post as soon as possible at this address_ railway road , co_op bank street , hooda complex narwana pin code 126116 district jind , haryana , india thanking u

Exun is different from JSTS, and how to prepare obviously depends on the event you’re participating in. :) For JSTS intereviews, just be confident in whatever you say and don’t try to make stuff up. If you don’t know something, say that, and if you have only a vague idea, say that and then state whatever you know.

Hey…uve got a nice blog here….
the thing is…can you please tell me from where to…you know….study for the written exam, I have mine In November…and Im kinda scared, so If you cud just tell me a few books, to increase my GK and pass the exam??

Umm.. do you have any idea when the results for the 09-10 JSTS interview would be out?
I dunno about the letter system cause i didnt get mine i had to check online on the ncert site. So just wanted to know the date of the result. Also, i heard from one of the teachers of one of the schools present there that anyone who qualifies for the second for is an awardee, and the second round is just to judge how much to give. Is this accurate?

i am going to attend the jstse the day after tom. i have done no preparation for it since i didn’t took it that seriously.
please advice me what should i do now….??? and can i get some question paper please. in great need of them.

Hey cngrts buddy….(@writer)
well, mera bhi aisa hi haal hai, kal interschool comp. hai and day aftr. tom. is my JSTSE exam…..
koi tayari nahi coz aaj hi pata chala dat 31-1-11 ko hai….
wat shall I do in just a day??
revise formulae of maths & phys.??
and is the bio from NCERT fron NCERT only??
Is Maths tough?? or which section is the most tough??
What shall I do for G.K.??
How many ques. are der in GK?? I sthe majority of them obj. or subj.???

pls rply soon
coz u know how time shortage I have??
Thank u in anticipation!!
i’ll check it by tom… hope some good rply…..

well!!I appeared for NtSEin 10th .and now in 11th I want a good command our the things ……suggest me some tips so that i clear the first of round of kvpy and ntse.In 10th I didn’t know much about those things so it was just giving a test without any practises .Do plz suggest me something .may be your guidance helps me out

I will be appearing for the JSTS exam this year(2011-2012) in January as I am in Class 9. Wanted to ask you that how many scholarships are given in Delhi? Also, what is the expected cut-off? Please Reply!!!!

dear Ankur,i had gone thru ur experiences for jstse.accordingly i adviced my son to appear in 2010-11 jstse,By God grace he has qualified and happy.now he has to appear for interview in July 2011.can i be helped out how to prepare my son for interview.i have no idea which field he should choose for interview.
thanks.

hey…just wanted to ask….is JSTS a state exam…a national exam or a city-wise exam.??
whats the cut-off….??
and the list of the people that cleared the first round…..are they national,state or city-wise..??
and ya…really ADMIRED your blog…!!
not one of those only-info-no-humour ones… :-P
would love to have early replies….!

and the level….is it too hard ?
and what should i study for its preparation..?…just the school course..or do you recommend any other books..?
i’m taking the xam and really want 2 qualify..!!…any tips..? :D

All those who want advice, here is a little piece.
For JSTS, the main book you should follow is the 10th Class NCERT Science book(for the 10th topics, of course).
For 9th topics, try a little of the 11th ncert books on chemistry and physics.
For maths, use RD Sharma.(obviously a human can’t do all the questions! :D )
Let me tell you, MANY questions came directly from the 10th book this year. :D